A computer system, such as a laptop, may have a large number of devices that contribute to the heat of the system. For example, the central processing unit (CPU) may consume a large amount of power and therefore contribute to heating the system. Additionally, other devices such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), a display screen (especially for screens with large resolution, or high screen brightness), a charging battery, and external devices such as USBs, hard drives, 3G modem, or Wi-Fi devices may also consume power and thereby contribute to heating the system.
Two ways to cool a computer system include active cooling (e.g., using a fan), or passive cooling (e.g., by throttling back CPU speed, slowing down a battery charge speed, dimming a screen, etc.). Yet, a system may not be able to cool itself efficiently if it lacks a way to manage temperature across the entire system. Thus, a need exists for systems, methods, and apparatus to address the shortfalls of present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.